


It's Christmas, What Could Go Wrong?

by gayexol



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Cabin Fic, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8038042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayexol/pseuds/gayexol
Summary: Mike really isn’t sure what he expected. He wanted to have a nice holiday, roast some marshmallows, and have some genuine family friendly fun. But yes, of course it’s a great idea to have a group of hormonal college kids stuffed into a single cabin for Christmas break. How could anything go wrong with that?Will Josh cannon-ball into the hot tub? Absolutely.Will Chris insist on going down the chimney dressed as Santa? Absolutely.Will there be mistletoe? Absolutely.Mike is in for a wild ride.





	1. Blackwood Lodge, Here We Come

**Author's Note:**

> hey kids just fyi this fic makes me incredibly mad to look at  
> i haven't proof read,, or fixed it,,,, This Is It maybe !!!!!  
> it was gonna be a washingroe fic but Oh Well lmao  
> i'll add my remaining chapters n then Maybe, add little ficlets  
> actually wait there is gay shit on the way dont worry yall  
> alirggggght haveeee funnnn

Mike liked this part of town.

It was weird and secluded, all concrete and tiny white buildings, untouched in a way that hid the area from the shopping malls and fast food chains. It was quieter here, and as he sat next to Jess, he took a few seconds to watch the first hints of snowflakes struggle to paint the glass bus stop white.

In all honesty, Mike could chill out here for days; spend his entire vacation basking in the snow with Jessica. Well, basically anything that gets him away from Uni is a god damn blessing. He bounced his leg in anticipation, eagerly glancing up the snow-covered road to see if their bus would show up already.

In just a mere couple of hours, he’d be partying inside a giant fucking lodge on Christmas for Christ’s sake. God, he could imagine it, the endlessly flowing spiked egg-nog, skiing off of the roof, backflipping into the hot tub, maybe even letting Jess decorate his tree if you get what he means-

“Blackwood Mountain bus service. Get on or don’t, I don’t really care,” the uninterested driver said, already flicking through coffee-stained newspapers.

“Alright then,” Mike mumbled, grabbing his and Jessica’s bags and hauling them into the icy bus, eventually stuffing their luggage overhead before collapsing into a seat. He made eye contact with Jess and tapped the seat next to him, watching as she failed at trying to make small-talk with the driver.

It was like the guy was getting _paid_ to ignore her, not even trying to be subtle about it- eyes remaining firmly glued to the papers in front of him. Poor, sweet Jessica was trying her best, tapping into that fake Southern charm even though they were in the middle of Bumfuck, Canada.

“Hi sir, have you been to Blackwood Mountain recently?”

“Hmm.”

“Well, my boyfriend and I are going to visit friends.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s your name?”

“Hmm.”

Flustered, Jess stood there for a few seconds and just smiled, as if her toothy grin could somehow attract the driver’s attention. She ultimately gave up on being friendly and turned around, walking down the aisle and making a face at Mike.

“Not much luck, huh?” he asked as she approached him. She sat down and huffed, eyeing the disgruntled man for a few seconds while she fiddled with her fingers.

“Guy doesn’t seem to like college kids I guess.”

“Doesn’t seem to like anyone,” Mike joked, placing his hands into his pockets.

Jess rolled her eyes and took out her book, placing it onto her lap as the two of them waited. It was just a few minutes into the afternoon, and Mike was hoping that someone who could formulate whole sentences would appear on the bus and save him from his steadily growing restlessness. Yes, he had been on this metal tin can for barely ten minutes, but Mike had a feeling that the ride up to Blackwood Lodge wasn’t going to be the greatest thing ever.

Mike felt his pocket buzz, and he fished around in his jacket for a second before finding his phone and unlocking it. _Hey bro, call me when you’re halfway there-Josh_.

“Ohh, Josh texted you? He didn’t text me,” Jess pouted, Michael realizing that she had been leaning over his shoulder.

“Yeah, sorry babe, but I’ve been cheating on you with Josh,” Mike sarcastically said, earning a book to the face. He sputtered as the pages blocked his view, flailing dramatically and laughing as he grabbed at the book’s cover. Mike managed to settle down and when he did, his eye caught to a few of the novel’s sentences. Woah.

“Uh, Jess? This might just be the greatest form of literary pornographic work that has ever been on God’s great green earth.” “Mike! Oh my god, give that back, I read it because it’s just… horrible,” Jess whispered through her teeth, tell-tale red creeping into her cheeks.

“Wow, this ‘Torlolf’ dude is pretty raunchy Jess, are you sure you don’t want to get ‘squished up against his granite abs’,” Mike quoted, biting back a laugh as Jessica struggled to reach the book.

“Is that ‘Rough and Ready’? I liked it but the plot diminished by the end of the book,” a gruff voice commented, and to Mike and Jess’ horror, they slowly looked up and saw no one other than the bus driver staring at them through the front mirror.

“Wait, shit, I really thought that Hilda would’ve at least tried to go after Torlolf after the sex scene!” Jess yelled, pushing past Michael and rushing to the front of the bus to discuss key plot points of a smut novel to an aging bus driver.

Mike chuckled to himself and crossed his arms, leaning back on his seat with a confused, yet unfazed smile plastered across his face. He shook his head and sighed, letting his head fall on to the top of the chair as he sighed. He threw his feet up on the seat and let his body relax, his eyes fluttering shut. If he was going to survive this drive up through the snowy hell mountains he might as well enjoy himself and have a damn nap.

Maybe if he drowned out the heated debate about porn Jess was having with the old man, he could get some rest and pass the several hour trip to Blackwood Mountain a bit quicker. Mike ignored the odd crick in his neck from being propped up so awkwardly, but hey, he’s 6’2 and these bus seats aren’t very accommodating. Soon enough, the thrum of the bus engine and the marginal darkness gets to him.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he must’ve been out for a while.

Mike’s eyes are still closed but it must be at least nine or ten at night based on the total blackness around him. He’s still pretty groggy, so through the haze of sleepiness he shifted a bit, exhaling a breath and crossing his arms over his chest. He was just about to settle back down when he heard the tires screech, and then he felt the bus lurch across the road. Instinctively, he gripped the seat in front of him to gain some balance, eyes darting through the windows to try and make out the blurred environment around them. He looked to the front of the bus when he heard the driver swearing, a frown masking the annoyance on his face.

“Sorry kid, just some ice around here,” the old man said, knowing that Mike must’ve been looking at him. Mike furrowed his eyebrows and nodded his head at the guy, feeling his heart rate go down. He moved back into his chair and leaned against it again, turning his head to eye Jessica. Mike smiled at her, a little silly to be honest, when she looked up at him.

“Oh look, sleepyhead’s awake,” Jessica whispered as she fiddled with the book light attached to her novel.

“Hey babe,” Mike asked blearily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, “where are we?”

“Only a few hours out now, we should be there soon.”

Fuck, he should call Josh to tell him they’re close.

He searched for his phone, turning it on, and squinted at the brightness, thumb scrolling through contacts until he found Josh’s. He rubbed his face again and tapped the number, bringing the phone up to his ear and hearing the shrill ring on the other end. Mike absently tapped his fingers on his leg as he waits, looking out the window to try and make out where they are. As the endless spruce and fir trees whisked past them, he heard the tell-tale click on the receiver on the other end.

“What’s up, Mikey! How close are you Blackwood Lodge AKA the party capital of the world?” Josh’s familiar voice laughed.

“According to Jess’ magnificent navigating skills, we must be getting pretty close, so you’re just gonna have to suffer boredom for a couple more hours.”

“Oh haha Mike, how did you know my entire life revolves around you, you ass? The others are almost here too, so don’t wait up.” Josh responded sarcastically, and then the line went dead.Mike chuckled to himself and tucked his phone back into its proper place, leaning over and dropping his head on Jessica’s shoulder, ignoring her unamused mumblings.

“Jess,” Mike whined dramatically, “when will we get there? My ass is getting cramped from these horrible seats,” he shifted uncomfortably in his chair and groaned.

“We’re almost there, okay? Then you’ll get to chug as many spiked eggnogs as you can handle,” Jess swatted at him and smiled, eyes bright despite the shadowy night around them. The bus ran over a bump in the road, the impact clunking their luggage around and rattling the snow-frosted windows. Mike sighed and leaned his head back onto his seat, what meager heat the old A/C could pump out barely doing enough to thaw out his frozen hands.

“Ugh. We’ll be glad if we get there by Christmas Eve at this point,” Mike grumbled, eyes moving back and forth like a pendulum as he glared at the windshield wipers.

“You are so impatient, you goof. How about…,” she wondered, tapping her fingertip on her cheek,” I bet you can’t stay awake for another hour.”

“That’s weak. You’re totally gonna lose a dollar punk,” Mike sneered, pulling out his phone with intent. If his calculations were correct, and they _are_ , the next level of Candy Crush will at least kill seven hours. Maybe more.

“Hey c’mon, it’s time to get up Mike.” “Okay wait, that’s bullshit just, just like calm down alright,” Michael managed, shaking his head and getting to his feet. Okay, yeah, _that’s_ bullshit. The bus had already pulled over on the road, the engine stalled in the snowy night. Mike really thought that college had trained him in the art of staying awake.  He looked out the window as he walked off the empty bus, noticing that it was dark enough to be late but not nearly midnight.

Mike thanked the driver as he and Jess exited, the cold handle of their bags digging into his fingers. He exhaled out and saw his breath mist instantly, pausing to admire the snow lining the tree branches before he shuffled up next to Jessica. The dusted sleet compacted under his feet, his boots dragging him towards the old metal of the front gate, a Blackwood Pines sign hanging on the frame above it. Slush slipped off of the icy metal work, falling into growing piles around Mike’s shoes.

“Wow… We’re really here, Jess. I better get that eggnog.”

“Mhm, yeah- can we hurry? My face is numb.” Jessica said, rubbing her hands together.

“Oh,” Mike whispered, sliding his way towards Jess and running a hand down her arm, “I know just the way to warm you up.”

“Yeah right, buddy. I totally wanna freeze my ass off in the middle of the mountains.”

Mike stepped over a fallen branch and dramatically closed his eyes. “ _Sigh_. It seems that I can never please women.”

“Michael, I love you, but I still will punch you in the face.”

Mike laughed and walked forward, tugging Jess along, the two of them walking side by side through the imposing gate and up a trail cutting through the dense woods. It was a minute of trudging uphill before they saw the infamous Blackwood Lodge, partially covered in ice, outside lights on and waiting for them. Mike started running ahead of Jess because he was so damn excited; he couldn’t fucking wait to see all of his friends together again for another annual Christmas party.

He yelled for Jess to catch up with him and nearly slipped on the frozen steps, but he quickly caught himself and pushed on until he was at the door. Heart thudding dully in his ears, Jess came up behind him and opened the wooden door and pushed it open. She hopped inside and laughed.

“Hey guys!” Mike stood next to her and waited for Sam to round the corner, for Beth and Hannah to appear on the stairs, but the seconds passed by and there was silence. No noise, no friends; not even a single light on. Michael pouted after closing the door and took a hesitant step forward, placing the suitcases on the hardwood, the tiny sound echoing off the bare walls.

“Uh okay,” Mike whispered, turning his head and investigating the crevasses of the open space in front of him, “…are we at the right place?”

So much for Christmas spirit.


	2. Dreams, Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Mike and Jess are finally settling into the Lodge after a long journey, they quickly find out that their night isn't over just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly nothing in this chapter makes sense  
> i Might revisit the random ass dream sequence  
> but alas, ,,, i am a horrible person  
> the next chapter is Good Stuff tho  
> haveeeeee funnnnnnn kids

Michael grumbled absently to himself as his loud footsteps echoed around the two of them, the only noise in the otherwise deserted lodge. Jess brought her hand up to her chin, humming as her gaze swept around the cabin, stepping onto her toes to look into the far-back corners for any sign of their friends.

“Of course we are at the right place, genius. These assholes must have packed themselves into the hot tub or whatever,” Jess said, swiping the stubborn flakes of snow still caught to her shoulders.

Mike frowned and continued to look around, shrugging exaggeratedly when Jess turned to glance at him. It was still too dark to see, but he could’ve sworn he just saw a shadow zoom behind the kitchen counter. “Okay Jess, we’re either being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past or-“ he started and then the _screaming_ erupted.

“Surprise!” several voices cheered, and everyone, all eight of the fuckers, jumped out from everywhere. Matt flew out from behind the couch, Ashley parted the leaves of a giant potted plant, Chris dived out from a table, and everyone else ran out of the kitchen to greet the two exasperated college kids standing motionless at the door.

“Fuck, it’s nice to see you guys too!” Mike shook his head, breathless, and threw up his arms in a welcome.

Like a giant wave of alcohol-infused college anarchy, the group surrounded Mike and Jess, all of them starting to crowd together. Emily was the first to rush to his side, hugging him and then making way for the impressive line of friends waiting to hug the two of them. A few seconds and hugs later, Josh walked across the wooden floor and looked up at Mike with a syrupy, broad grin stuck to his cheeks.

“Welcome home Mikey!” he screamed, scooping up Mike in his arms and picking him up a full four inches off the ground.

Josh and everyone laughed as Mike screamed for mercy, being carried over to the couch and thrown onto it abruptly. He shifted around in the infinite amount of pillows until he saw Josh smile again at him, eyes gleaming with cheerfulness amidst the shadows curling in the corners of the living room.

“Josh, I think you’re forgetting someone,” Jess sighed from the front door, flipping her hair theatrically but failing to hide the grin spread across her lips.

“I can’t believe I forgot to snatch the princess!”

Jessica giggled and braced for impact as Josh ran up and nearly tackled her, picking her up bridal-style and shuffling over to the couch in record time, tossing her on top of Mike. Jess let out a small “oomph” as she landed on him, scrambling around to try and not fall off the couch.

“Jess, get your ass out of my face!” Mike laughed, simultaneously shifting around and flipping off the many phone cameras pointing in his direction.

“Ooh, I would pay to see that any day.” Chris _helpfully_ commented.

“God this is so unfair," Mike snorted.

Jess finally lost her balance and tumbled off the sofa, landing on the carpeted ground and snorting. All of their other (treacherous) friends had gathered around the couch, clutching their stomachs and leaning over to stop the endless laughter emanating from everyone. Emily and Matt high-fived as they zoomed in even closer to Jessica’s disgruntled face with their phones, Jess eventually getting fed up and swatting them away with a rather large pillow.

“Shit, it isreally good to see you guys. Hey pornstars, now that we’re all finally here, get situated on the sofas, because it is officially movie night at the Washington lodge! Mike, Jess, I’m grabbing your stuff and hauling it upstairs, alright? Be back in a sec,” Josh announced before hauling off their suitcases and disappearing up the stairs.

Mike smiled and shoved off his snow-stained boots to the side, kicking up his feet onto the oak coffee table and pulled Jess up next to him. Matt, Sam, and Emily propped themselves up at the bar, Ashley and Chris were stuffed into a loveseat, Hannah was on another couch, and Beth was rummaging in the kitchen. She walked over to the fridge and cracked it open, hunching down and riffling through the many pizza boxes until she grabbed a handful of beers.

She shoved one into the hand of every jubilant guest and sat down on the floor next to Hannah, leaning her head back against the sofa ottoman. Hannah reached forward and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels.

“Josh! Come downstairs already,” Beth yelled at the ceiling, getting a Josh-sounding noise back.

“Can we watch Harry Potter?” Ashley chimed in, everyone responding with a groan.

“Ash, Harry Potter is a classic, but I’m so sick of it.” Chris groaned.

“Ha! Looking for a classic? Star Wars it is then.” Emily said, crossing her arms.

“What about Star Trek?” Sam mentioned, eyeing Emily. Emily snickered and covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh my god, wait you don’t like Star Trek?” Sam leaned forward from her seat at the bar and raised her eyebrows.

Hannah input her opinion, it being Star Trek, _obviously_ , and then the entire peanut gallery started up, “Spirk” and “Han Solo” and lightsabers edging into the conversation as Mike cradled his face in his hands and sighed. He was giggling like a kid at this point because god, how in the world did he end up with a bunch of losers as friends?

Eventually, the light hearted discussion turned into a malicious death match, and _holy shit_ where is Josh because within twenty seconds Hannah and Sam are going to tackle Emily. And of course, Chris is holding up a camcorder like he tumbled out of the 90’s and is cheering them on, shouting “fight, fight, fight” and pumping his fist in the air. Matt is desperately trying to hold them all back, but he as shoots Mike a nervous glance and it becomes clear that this is how WW3 begins.

Mike has had enough of this debate, but despite himself he whispered, “what’s a Skywalker?” And that’s when four heads turn around at him, something straight out of The Exorcist, and suddenly Beth, Hannah, Emily, and Sam are yelling “good going Mike” and “thanks for being helpful, Mike” and “I will murder you while you sleep, Mike”. Michael resolved to going into a defense stance to shield himself from a total onslaught of embarrassing geek culture, and then there’s footsteps tumbling down the staircase.

Josh shuffled down the stairs at last and swiped the beer out of Beth’s hand, taking a swig of it. Ignoring her protesting curses, he plopped down next to Mike and raised his arm. Somehow, just by his very presence, the entire group quieted down to a lull. “Everyone chill down. We’ll just marathon Marvel or some shit.”

The group nodded their heads and a few actual agreements were heard, and so Hannah flipped on a movie. Captain America sprinted across the screen as Mike absently scratched at the stubble on his jawline, snaking his other hand into Jessica’s and giving her a tiny smile when she glanced over. Sam stood up, clearly still fuming from the fight barely a minute ago, and crossed her arms while waiting alone at the microwave, like a petulant child, as she made popcorn.

Mike peeked over his shoulder, just for a minuscule second, and Sam gives him the coldest glare of his life, eyebrows furrowed to the point where they looked permanent. He instantly recoiled and sinked back down into the couch, almost breaking into a sweat. _Alright_ , just focus on the TV. That’s easy enough.

After a few more minutes, Sam returned with bowls of popcorn for everyone, a little grin on her face as if the snacks relieved her Star Wars-induced stress. Mike leaned his head against the couch and sighed, eyeing Chris and Ash as they fed each other popcorn without even looking away from the screen. He choked a bit on his own food and returned his gaze back to the screen, blinking tiredly.

If he’s going to fall asleep again and end up missing the movie, well, he’ll fight himself when he wakes up. He should definitely not be this tired. How could Mike even sleep in _snow_ , of all things? Wait, did he already fall asleep?

Kinda impressive, to day the least.

Mike lets himself sink a bit deeper into the compacted slush around him, the coldness barely even reaching his skin anymore. The silence of the forest should make him feel weary, but instead it makes it all seem almost comforting, loneliness instead being traded for peacefulness. The sky above him is so white that it glares down on him, the diluted colors only broken by patches of dying trees or browning grasses.

He doesn’t know how long he’s been laying here but he gets the feeling that it doesn’t matter. Mike felt himself smiling and sat up, snowflakes pooling around his waist like a blanket. He gazed around at the foliage and inhaled, the crisp winter air stinging his face. He must be in the middle of nowhere, and that couldn’t bother him less. Well actually, he _does_ get bothered by the laughter floating from just behind the tree line.

He pushed himself up onto his legs and made a face at the seemingly empty area, wondering how anyone else could be out here. Brushing aside dead, dull branches and kicking through layers of snow, Mike pushed through the woods and into a clearing, large and empty save for a single tree standing tall in the middle. It’s silent again.

Mike turned around, checking over his shoulders, but there isn’t another sound. He can’t even hear his own breathing. Mike looked up into the ashen sky and stared at the crows overhead, but they’re silent, they’re not even moving, and that doesn’t faze him in the slightest. But where even _is_ he? Mike turned around and wished to be back in the lodge.

He focused on a patch of snow in front of him, and Blackwood Lodge appeared, dusty windows and all. Everything actually seems to be the same, except for the small fact that Mike is now in a tuxedo and is holding a bag of money. _Dreams, right?_

He walked forward, the landscape now silent once more, and goes up to the front door. Alright. Alright, this is a dream, so if he opened this door, does he wake up? Mike placed his hand on the doorknob and is surprised to find that it’s solid, not just warped up dream physics messing with his head. He goes to open the door, but is stopped when there’s a light tap on his shoulder.

He turned around without thinking, and then is suddenly very, very scared. If this is his dream, then why did someone just touch _him_? Out of the corner of his eye, Mike spotted something moving slowly, something grey and so grotesque that he turned his head, and the thing launched itself at him with a hissing roar. Mike reared back, scrunching his eyes close and hoping that maybe the damn dream physics would be warped up one more time. He does not want to find out if you can die in dreams or not.

Mike startled awake, nearly knocking the empty beer bottle out of Jess’s hand. He looked around frantically, searching Jessica’s face, making sure he was awake and she was here. He could feel his heart beating incessantly against his shuddering rib cage, a steady staccato beat so quick it made him light-headed.

“Mike, babe? Are you okay?” Jess whispered, cradling his jaw and glancing at him anxiously. He cringed against her touch despite himself but was glad she didn’t notice.

“Yeah,” he breathed, “just… nothing. Nothing.” Jess’ eyes flickered with something unidentifiable but she looked away moments later, slumping back into the cushions and focusing her attention back to the movie. Mike exhaled roughly and copied her movements, threading his fingers through his hair and deliberately focusing on everything except for Jess.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the room, Mike completely and unusually drained just because of some jump scare. He was alright, sitting on a huge couch in the Washington lodge, watching Ashley scream and throw popcorn at Captain America.

“Mikey, hey, you good? Seriously?” Josh suddenly turned his head and nudged Mike in the side. Mike opened his mouth to speak but gave himself away, hesitating only for a fraction of a second. Josh deciphered it instantly.

“Calm down. I’m good. I just got jolted awake, you know?” he replied. Josh seemed to accept his answer and slowed nodded his head, and then looked back over at the movie. Michael chose to just forget about that dream for a while, and instead eased his way out of the many assorted bodies on the couch and got up, weaving around legs and couches before making his way to the second floor of the lodge, signaling to Jess that he’d be down in a second.

Exhaling, he shuffled down the winding hallway towards the room he always stays. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, he saw Jess and his suitcases placed near the bed. He gently pushed it open and grabbed his luggage, bending down to unzip it and grab his sleepwear. Mike rummaged through the various winter clothes until he found a ratty old pair of sweats and a tank top.

He stood up and shucked off his jacket and shirt before throwing them on the neatly made bed in front of him. He started to fiddle with his belt when he paused, and then huffed a laugh. There, on the bed, were a couple of old porno mags that you’d find locked away, probably hidden beneath some wrinkled old guy’s bed or stuffed into an empty bag.

Mike bent over and picked them up, flipping through the pages and shaking his head. Wait, are these _Josh’s_ fucking mags? Mike rushed out the door, still holding the evil magazines as he leaned over the railing, staring down at his friends until he found Josh’s head in the darkness. “

Hey, Josh!” He looked up at Mike but before he could even respond, Mike threw the mags with full force at him, hearing a satisfying smack ricochet off his smug face. Mike only held his victory for a few more seconds, as Josh peeled the pornos off his face moments later and laughed as the others eyed the two of them.

“God, I hate you so much,” Mike mumbled, letting himself lean heavily on the railing.

“Thanks bud, love you too,” Josh responded before quieting, “go put on some clothes, unless you wanna star in one of these?” he mocked, waving a full frontal shot of a male porn actor at Mike’s scowling face.

“I’m gonna beat you up when I get back down there,” Mike yelled, already down the hallway again, smile stuck to his face.

He quickly slipped on his night clothes and padded down the wood steps, feet smacking against the floor. Mike jumped over the back of the sofa and squeezed in between Jessica and Josh, throwing the other man a dirty look before tossing an arm around Jess. It felt good to relax again, surrounded by all of his best friends in a huge ass cabin, sunk into a soft couch and no responsibilities, no grades, no parents following him.

By now, the movie is almost over, and only him, Josh, and Ash were still awake, the others already catatonic and sprawled out across every available surface. Mike was reasonably sure that Matt was either just asleep or had suffocated by the sheer amount of people on top of him as he laid motionless on the carpet. Mike felt Josh’s head slump against his shoulder, no doubt that he just fell asleep himself. Neither of them moves.

It doesn’t take very long for his own eyes to gloss over, his head lolling around his neck and he struggled to make out the blurred colors and movement on the TV. He gave up a little while later, arm cradling a half-eaten bowl of popcorn and Jess’ snoring frame beside him. Mike closed his eyes, and the world eventually faded out.


	3. Land Of The Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day up in the lodge with the gang, and Mike is (sadly) kept busy by the endless amount of "fun" activities his friends put him up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanna die

Hours later, the first thing he feels is groggy, whether from the beer or sleep. His eyes refused to pry themselves open, so Mike just shifted around until he feels a body slide closer to his chest. Sighing, he welcomes the feeling of sunlight warming his face and the stillness of the early morning.

Behind him though, he can hear someone quietly shuffling around the lodge’s kitchen, and the distinct sound of feet tapping against the hardwood and the sizzle of a saucepan. Breakfast, it has to be. What time is it?

Mike cracked open an eye and peered around his limited periphery, eye wandering lazily until it landed on Jess’s sleeping frame. Mike yawned despite himself and tightened his hand around the waist of the person below him. Ah fuck, wait, who is Mike somewhat holding right now? If it’s not Jess it has to be-

Josh is lying across Mike’s legs, face up on his thigh, snoring slightly and pressed into his torso. Fucking Mike, he has to stop the cuddling. But Josh just looks so peaceful in the early dawn light... he's not gonna to lie here, Mike feels so calm just gazing at his friend. He glances around to see if anyone is watching, and then placed his arm onto his chest, leaning his head back onto the cushions.

Mike sat there, stiff and completely silent, waiting for Josh to wake up and get off of him. Josh neither woke nor got up, and so Mike accepted his fate. Thankfully, he didn’t have to resort to slowly dissolving away into the couch, because a heavy pillow slammed into Josh’s chest.

“Get up, you drunken idiots. Help me make breakfast.” Hannah said, beating the three of them with the pillow until Josh swore groggily and rolled off of the couch. 

“Alright, alright, Christ. Put the weapon down, Han,” Josh groaned, hidden by the couch except for his arm scrambling on the table, trying to push himself to his feet.

“Five more minutes please…” Jess muttered, shoving her face into the cushions. 

Mike yawned and stood, carefully avoiding stepping on Josh’s face. He scratched distractedly at his face and collapsed into a bar chair. “What time is it? Four, five, six in the morning?”

“No genius, it’s nine. A perfectly reasonable hour for responsible adults like you to get up and make food,” Hannah said, reaching up and riffling through the overhead cabinets until she got out several mugs. 

“So… where’s Beth then?” Mike murmured, dropping his face into his hands. 

“She’s sleeping,” Hannah replied instantly. Mike was about to scoff until she waved a spatula dangerously close to his face. “Our lodge, our rules.”

Mike leaned back and raised his hands up in surrender as Josh ambled into the kitchen and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Mornin’ y’all.” 

“Did you just say y’all?” Mike asked, smiling at the other guy. 

“Hey, this is the land of the free. I can say what I want.”

“We’re in Canada, dumbass.”

“Land of the free,” Josh repeated, pointing up at him and then swiping a different mug than those Hannah got out. Across the front, it had “#1 Bro” in bold letters. 

A few minutes later, the rest of the group filed in, sporting neon sweat pants and tangled hair. Sam, a notorious Food Network junkie, took over breakfast with Hannah while Chris quietly huddled around the coffee maker, staring with full intensity at it.

“Oh my god, it feels like something heavy is breaking my ribs,” a disembodied groan rises from behind the couch, and Matt is heard shoving someone else off of him.

“I fell asleep on you, genius,” a groggy Emily mumbles, sitting up just enough so that Mike can see her jet-black hair from across the kitchen.

“Well that explains it then,” Matt chuckled, getting a pillow to the face. 

The quarterback stood up, using Emily as a very short prop so he wouldn’t fall over. Ash yawned from her cramped seat in the recliner, swiping at her eyes as she gazed around the house to find Chris. The three of them shuffled over to the kitchen, gentle smiles all stuck to their faces. 

Matt’s first action of this otherwise lazy morning was to proceed to grab the paper towel roll and tuck it under his arm like a football , before roaring and throwing it at the wall. Well, the intended target was the wall, but it instead landed on Ashley’s head. She pretended to faint and promptly fell into a chair, Matt running over and apologizing frantically as Ash tried to hide her smile. 

Sam, Hannah, Josh, and Chris all said hello to their newly-woken friends, Mike rounding the counter top to stand behind Sam as she cooked, him exaggeratedly smelling the air as she laughed.

“So what are we having, chef?” Mike clapped his hands together and eyed the sizzling pan on the stove.

“I’m making eggs and bacon, you animal. I’m not afraid to use this,” Sam said, lifting up the heavy pan she was holding. 

Mike backed off and smiled, strolling up to Chris and stealing one of the many full coffee cups he had horded when no one was watching. Chris barely even saw him, as he was face down in a large mug. Mike looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, fingers drumming on his cup, and poked Chris on the neck to make sure he hadn’t died. Sure enough, he rose out of the mug and gulped down a mouthful of coffee, eyes closed as he leaned heavily against the wall of the kitchen.

Michael grinned and he returned back to the sofa and plopped down on it, Jessica humming a bit as he rubbed her arm. “Babe, you want some coffee?”

Jess suddenly grabbed the mug and had downed half of it before Mike could even process what was happening, and we the cup was returned, he was shocked to find it almost gone. He pouted at Jess and she just grinned at him, stretching out her tired limbs and finally getting up off the couch. Mike swallowed the last remaining coffee and placed it carefully on the table, scratching his stomach and listening to his many friends start to move around at last.

It would be a while before breakfast was served, so Mike and a couple of others raced upstairs to get dressed and put on some warm clothes. It took another hour filled with egg-induced rage, the sprinklers almost coming on, and many, many cups of coffee before the group of friends got into their respective chairs at the lodge’s dining table. 

Finally, everyone grabbed their plates and settled down, knives and forks scraping into ketchup-smeared plates as Sam opted for a bagel and some fruit. Beth finally came down from her room just as the plates were being cleaned and put away, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl and absently peeling it as she watched the others with sleepy eyes. 

Mike sighed and wiped the remnants of pepper and salt from his scruffy chin, waddling over to Jess, still in her chair, and bent down. Kissing her on the temple, he closed his eyes and placed his chin on her shoulder. 

“God, it’s so cold Mike. Can you grab me a blanket?” she asked.

“Mhmm. Just one sec.”

He walked over to the couch and wrestled a blanket out of Beth’s hand, her growling at him and then sinking into cushions. Mike went back over to Jess and wrapped it around her, rubbing her sides to warm her up.

“That better babe?” Mike said as Jess nodded, huddling into the chair.

Mike kissed her one last time and then walked over to the couch, placing his hands on the top of it and leaning forward. “Alright. I’m bored. What do we do now?”

“Well one thing’s for certain- it’s almost damn Christmas, and do you see any decorations up?” Chris yelled from the top balcony, waving his arms around as if surveying his kingdom.

Everyone, even a very tired Beth, glanced around to try and see if Blackwood Lodge was deemed “Christmas enough” for their liking. Maybe the ugly red and green plaid blanket Mike had brought was festive?   
“There are some stockings over there,” Emily pointed out, lazily gesturing at the fireplace.

“No, Em, that is literally just a pile of dirty socks that hasn’t moved in years,” Matt huffed, picking one up and tossing it for good measure as Emily ducked out of the way. 

“There’s nothing here guys. I can’t live like this, we need to get some wreaths or something, now!” Chris cried, flailing his arms around. 

“That is the kind of motivation I would like to see from all of you fuckers. Shout out to Cochise for being awesome!” Josh said suddenly, having jogged from the living room up to the second floor and was now aggressively high-fiving Chris. 

“So where do we start?” Mike said, looking up at Chris and Josh.

“Well, we need to form a search party and go locate all of the old-ass Christmas decorations stored in the basement.” Josh answered, pointing over at the darkened doorway next to the theater room.

Mike agreed, and everyone present in the lodge (with the exception of Beth) shuffled down the winding concrete steps and entered the basement. As the entourage started spreading out, it was clear that everything seemed darker, mustier, as if Josh’s basement was a museum of rotting movie reels and old Washington history. It was a huge, old mess of dust and endless passageways, seemingly forming a maze of forgotten boxes and equipment. 

Michael and his friends had to fight through the cobwebs hanging everywhere to follow behind Josh, leading them further and further into the basement. They passed by movie props and black and white portraits with crumbling frames, ancient furniture and overlooked keepsakes, everything until Josh stopped them.

“I,” he started, gaze sweeping around the discovered room, “am reasonably sure that there should be decorations here.” 

“Josh, tell me again exactly why you need so much room in this basement? It’s so empty down here.” Sam grumbled, riffling through several boxes on the floor. 

“This is where I hide the bodies,” Josh said casually, pushing a container to the side and revealing a few wreaths. “Ha! I knew this stuff would be here.”

Mike spread out, away from the others, crouching down and rummaging through moth-eaten clothes and trinkets before he found something. Small and gray, it shined in the sparse light seeping through the overhead windows of the basement. Michael glanced over his shoulder at the others, and seeing that they weren’t paying attention, picked up the box.

It was heavy and definitely metal as he weighed it in his fingers, rolling it from palm to palm absently, inspecting it. Turning it around, he saw that it wasn’t just a box- it was a safe. A tiny knob was situated in the middle of the thing, and Mike wondered if he should ask Josh what was in it. Just before he got up to question the thing, Josh called out his name and pointed him over to an untouched corner of the basement.

Mike nodded in response and slid the safe back into its hidden place, then turned around and walked over to the mountain of boxes in front of him. He picked up some rotting clothes and placed them to the side, uncovering a coil of string lights and mistletoe. He smiled to himself and tucked the lights under his arm, even grabbing a handful of mistletoe and hiding them in his jacket pocket. 

“You guys find anything?” Mike said as he stood up, taking a few steps forward. 

“I found some poinsettias. Fake but still pretty nice,” Emily replied, clutching at a couple of potted flowers. 

“I got some ugly Christmas sweaters!” cheered Hannah, ignoring everyone’s collective groan.

“Guys, look at this adorable statue,” Ashley added, showing off a truly grotesque representation of Santa.

“Ash, I’m actually concerned that you’re holding the spawn of Satan in your hands,” Chris choked out, ready to kick the thing into the farthest corners of hell. 

“Let’s go back up then!” Josh exclaimed, voice high, taking each step with stride as he lead his pack of friends back through the concrete maze and up to the surface.

Everyone had made it upstairs and were unpacking their stuff when Matt took a breath. “Oh. I found a shit ton of ornaments and stuff.”

Josh’s face suddenly blanched, eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline in disbelief. “Fuck! Fuck! I forgot about the Christmas tree!”

Mike put his hands together in prayer and smiled up at the ceiling in an attempt to stop a laugh from escaping his lips. “Josh, I think it’ll be easy to find a tree.”

“What? No, we’re like 500 million miles from the closest tree farm. We’re on a mountain, Mikey, a mountain.”

“Dude, there’s trees. Literally all around us. We’re surrounded by Christmas trees. We can just go out and cut one down right now,” Mike slowly pointed out, gesturing at every window. 

“Isn’t that kinda like, illegal?” Josh whispered, eyes wide and staring through Mike.

“You own this entire mountain, Josh. Get a hold of yourself.” 

“Yeah, right, whatever. Of course I knew that. I’m gonna go grab an axe,” Josh announced, walking past Mike and back down into the basement. 

“That was beautiful, everyone. Hey, why don’t you ladies warm up by the fire while us men go out and dangerously locate a tree?” Chris laughed, clapping his hands together and looking over at the girls.

“Have fun then. We’ll all have such a terrible time waiting for you brave boys to come back freezing your asses off,” Jess sighed, opening the fridge and pulling out some ice cream.

“Alright gang. We ready?” Josh said, bounding up the basement steps and into the living room, an axe held firmly in his hands. 

“Woah there Josh, don’t get too happy with that axe,” Mike warned, holding up his hands as if his friend was going to axe murder them all.

“Yeah right. I wouldn’t dream of hurting you guys,” Josh huffed, making his way to the front door.

“At least you didn’t say y’all,” Mike mumbled before catching up to Josh. 

There were a few head nods and murmurs in agreement, and so the four friends walked out the front door of the lodge and into the forest.


	4. Long Way From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are all on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree, but when Mike and Josh split up from the group and become disorientated from a blizzard, they aren't quite sure they'll ever see Blackwood lodge again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHhwhwhTats up! YOung people  
> the scheduled gay shit might come a bit later mpals  
> i apologize for how shit this whole fic is yall  
> yolo

Josh gave one last wave to the girls and then closed the front door, carefully shuffling down the icy steps and leading a path for Chris, Matt, and Mike to follow. The group stopped for a moment and then suddenly looked up at the sky.

As if the sky was waiting for them to look, tiny little flakes of snow started floating their way down, coming from the clouds and beginning to dust the shoulders of the four men. 

“Augh. What the hell is this?” Chris groaned, tossing up his arms as if he was trying to fight the snow.

“This is nothing. We’re in Canada, I hope you can deal,” Mike said, heavy boots sinking into the white-covered ground.

Josh laughed and Chris pushed him in response, and then, finally, the group actually started walking towards to tree line, the Washington’s axe in hand. It was silent for a moment, only the crunching of boots and twigs disturbing the quiet of the forest.

It was mid-morning, maybe 11 or 12 o’clock, and the sun was trying desperately to fight its way through the dense trees and snow. Michael reached up and threaded his fingers through his damp hair, attempting to shake off the snowflakes.

“Does anyone actually know what we’re doing?” Matt pipped up, causing the others to pause.

“Yeah. We get a tree, go back to the lodge, go- go sledding or some shit,” Josh announced, leaning hard against the back of a tree.

“What are we, five?” Mike huffed, brushing snow from his letterman jacket.

“Only if it makes me your daddy,” Josh wiggled his eyebrows, smiling widening.

“Gross dude, c’mon,” Matt huffed.

“You can’t kinkshame me in middle of the woods, Matty,” Josh snorted, leading the group again.

With the hatchet in hand, Josh swung at the low- hanging foliage, clearing a makeshift path for the rest of the friends. The brush was just blocking the way to the trail, he assured them as they glanced around their icy surroundings.

He began whistling as they ducked into the woods, low and somber, the noise curving and bending around rocks and trees. Michael strained to hear over the whistling, and then realized that there were no other sounds. No birds or animals could be heard, no rushing water or falling branches.

Why is it so quiet?

Overhead, thick overlapping layers of grey blanketed the sky, almost a mirror image on the snow settled on the ground. It’s heavy, it’s silent. Nothing seems to be moving, no wind, no animals, like everything is a black and white photo.

He focused on walking for now, taking a glance over at his friends and Josh. He should have brought his phone or something, maybe to play music? No, no that kinda would’ve been odd. Just get a tree, Michael thought- that’s not that difficult.

The friends kept walking, pushing through fallen twigs and thick trees. Mike sighed to himself and pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders, rubbing his frigid hands together to try and warm up. Josh seemed to know where he was going, but honestly, Mike had no fuckin’ clue where he was taking them.

Michael could feel apprehension prodding at him, and he could tell that Matt and Chris felt the same. He caught up with Josh and nudged him. 

“Hey. Where are we going?”

“Nowhere really. I just haven’t seen the right tree yet,” Josh mumbled, picking at the fraying ends of his vest.

“The right tree? We’re in a forest. They all look the same.”

“Shh, okay? I’m the tree whisperer, and if you’re tired of being out here, well then we should split up,” Josh joked, turning around and glancing at his group, his eyes glinting with the grey afternoon. 

“This isn’t Scooby Doo. Nothing good happens when people split up and besides, we only have one axe,” Chris said, the four boys all stopped and facing each other now. They stood for a moment, searching for an answer from one of them.

“Yeah sure whatever. We’ll just call you guys over if we find a right tree,” Matt said at last, directing a hand to the left to gesture to Chris that they’d be going that way. 

Mike and Josh both looked at each other as the other two went off, Josh absently trailing his fingertips on the wood pattern of his axe. Josh hauled the axe over his right shoulder and began walking forward, expecting Mike to catch up, strangely lumbering through the dense forestry like a woodsman. Or an axe manic. 

The two boys continued to shuffle deeper into the woods, Mike absently scratching at his face while peering up through the trees, unable to see the sun poking through the thick branches. They were silent, only the crunching of ice underneath their boots doing little to break the pause in conversation. 

Even with all of his undershirts and jackets, Mike could still feel the biting cold seep through his clothes and freeze his skin. He turned his face downwards in hopes of the bitter wind would avoid his face, his nose already a bright red, just like his fingertips. God, he couldn’t wait until Josh would find the tree so they get the hell out of here. 

Josh, surprisingly didn’t seem to mind to cold, taking a deep breath and sighing contently. Mike guessed it was from all the time his family spent up here during vacations. He took a moment to wonder about the extravagant holiday getaways the Washington's would have up here, with the cabin and all of their own recreational excursions-

A hand flew out in front of Mike’s chest, keeping him there. A flash of green and blue plaid came in front of him, and suddenly Mike found himself behind Josh. He looked up, confused, but found that the other man was looking at him intently, a finger up to his lips. Josh turned his head, his hand still keeping Mike from moving, and gazed onwards into the brush.  


A doe, fragile legs lightly stepping around rocks and broken trees, wandered out of the forest and in front of the pair. She sniffed at the air for a few seconds, ears shifting and turning like satellites. The hatchet Josh clutched tight in his hand glinted in the sun, dangerously close to the doe’s head. He didn’t move a muscle. Tentatively, the doe got closer, wide eyes peering over at them. She didn’t frighten and run off however- she just got closer. 

Close enough that Mike could’ve reached out to touch her snow-dotted pelt, but he didn’t dare. 

The doe eventually walked away from Josh and Mike and in the direction of the lodge, finally leaving their view as she vanished once more into the tall evergreen and spruce trees. The two of them kept still for a minute longer, unable to form coherent sentences or move forward

Josh was the first to break the silence. “Well, that was something,” he whispered, letting his hand fall back to his side.

“Do you guys get a lot of deer around here? Like, near the lodge and whatever?” Mike rubbed at his frozen nose, hoping to regain any sensation in his face. 

Josh was quiet momentarily, pausing in thought, before answering. “Yeah, tons- but most of them cluster farther out from the lodge. I’ve seen a lot up here, but never encountered a doe that came up so close to me like that.”

Mike nodded his head in a silent response, following behind Josh as they started back up again, wading through the knee-deep snow. Every now and then they’d make a slight turn, walking over iced-over bridges and abandoned trail signs, black words faded with age. 

He would point out some evergreen trees that looked perfect for decorating, but time and time again Josh would shrug off his ideas, noting how the ones Mike had picked out were “lopsided”, or “too small”. No, Josh had to have the perfect tree- it was evident nothing else would do.

Mike would sigh in defeat and continue investigating every single tree with Josh, compliant in his stern prerequisites for their Christmas tree. The pair did this for a long while, until Mike checked his phone for the time when Josh figured out how they would cross a shallow stream.

The small digital numbers read out 2:45. Mike sucked in a harsh gasp, nearly dropping his phone out of his numbed hands. “Josh, we’ve been out here for almost three hours!”

“So? We haven’t found the right tree yet,” he didn’t appear the smallest amount concerned, just persistently stared at the stream.

Mike grumbled to himself and brought both hands up to his face, swiping the exasperated look out of his expression. He said nothing more, just stared at the back of Josh’s head, willing for him to turn around and see that it was probably time to head up to the lodge again. They could always come out tomorrow, there were still a few days until Christmas.

Instead, Josh took his hand and pulled him to the edge of the creek, narrowly avoiding getting the both of them soaked as they jumped onto the other side. Mike sighed louder, dramatically glancing over at the way they came. Josh shook his head, brushing off ice and snow from his jeans. 

“We’ll go back. Just give me ten minutes of your time,” he walked away, leaving Mike to catch up.

“Alright that sounds swell and whatever, but do you even know where we are?” he said as he jogged up to Josh.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I know where we are.”

“Then where are we, Magellan?” Mike put his hands on his hips.

Josh suddenly became very interested in a rotting tree stump. “Just give me a,” he mumbled, looking around for any recognizable landmarks,” give me a second man.”  
Josh exhaled slowly, and Mike knew then that they were completely, absolutely fucked.

He walked up to Mike, leaning in close, and whispered to him, as if there was someone else listening to them in the endless foliage. “Okay, okay you got me. I’m not very sure where we are.”

“Oh that’s just great,” Mike throw his hands up and swiveled around, groaning.

“Hey, we’re not gonna die or anything. I promise you, I’ll get your ass back to the lodge 100% intact,” Josh paced around in a circle, considering their few options for getting back.

“It’s not like we are in the middle of the woods, freezing to death in Canada, where the sun will go in like ten minutes!” Mike grabbed onto the frayed end of Josh’s vest, tugging him to turn around.

They took a few hesitant steps towards the brook again, planting their feet into the ground for leverage. Josh eyed Mike’s disgruntled face; he was focused on the rushing, burning cold water below them. Josh turned his head and clicked his tongue, steeling himself for the jump. 

“Alright man, let’s do this,” he huffed, grunting as he launched over the stream and onto the other side, managing to keep his balance.  
Mike took a breath, and jumped a moment later, landing haphazardly on the other side, nearly falling into the water before Josh grabbed his arm and hauled him upright.

Then, he took off into the tree line, Mike close behind, jumping over obstructions in their path. They ran past endless, virtually identical brush, the harsh wind forming ice in Mike’s lungs. He almost slipped a couple of times crossing that damn bridge, feet flying in front of himself as he struggled to remain upright.

After recovering from the threat of slipping, Mike regained his footing and quickened his pace, noting that Josh was following their footsteps that they had left behind. It didn’t take long before Michael noticed that the scenery was becoming slightly more familiar, doting with misshapen, identifiable trees and boulders towering on the sides of the trail that they had passed by.

Even though it was late afternoon, Mike swore that it was somehow getting colder- as if running for the last ten minutes did nothing to heat up his body. The wind picked up and snow began to fall at a faster rate. He could only pray that the sun would remain shining brightly above them. All thoughts of chopping down a tree were forgotten at this point; he didn’t want anything more than to get back to the lodge.

“Wait,” Josh spoke, bending down to look at something in their path, minuscule snowflakes pilling on his beanie and shoulders.

Mike walked over, taking a breath, and eyed what he was investigating. “Deer tracks,” he breathed,” fuckin’ deer tracks.”

“Yeah. We can’t be far out now,” Josh sounded relieved.

The pair decided to let their tiredness from running wane, allowing themselves to quietly follow the tiny hoof prints etched in the snow. But at this rate, the fresh covering of snow would eliminate their way home. Mike was silent as he wrapped his arms around his shivering body, eyes up above the trees, trying to see if this snow storm around them would become a blizzard. 

The darkened grey blanket of clouds above him did little to ease his fears. 

He looked forward again, the maze of spruce trees seeming like they were crushing him, the path steadily becoming narrower. Josh’s eyes swept the forest around him, forcing himself to remember the way back. Mike was counting on his hopefully extensive knowledge of Blackwood Mountain to help them get out of here. 

“Shit. You have got to be kidding me,” Josh stopped in his tracks, pointing at the way the deer’s prints died off in a thick wooded area. 

“You got your axe, right? We’ll just cut through. First thing we did when we got out of the lodge,” Mike turned his head to the side and looked over at Josh, noticing a foreign glint cross his eyes. He was scared. 

“Yeah. Yeah, we’ll do that,” Josh heaved the axe behind his shoulder and then chopped at the brush, branches and twigs snapping underneath the blade.

Mike couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, nervousness feeling like a shockwave down his spine. If they had been out here for hours, who knows how many turns, bends, and paths they had taken? Maybe, just maybe, they might find Chris and Matt out here amongst the forest. Like that would ever happen.

Josh didn’t say a word as they cut through the woods, the sharp, snapping noise of metal on branches making Mike wince. Josh put down the hatchet and momentarily pushed away thin groups of brush, fatigue present in his breathing. Mike gazed down and saw that his arms were trembling, whether from exhaustion or anxiety, he couldn’t tell. 

Then, they hit a snowy clearing, trees surrounding them on all sides with a handful of paths that all went separate ways. Mike and Josh stood in the middle of it all, defeated and breathing shallowly. Mike was about to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness when Josh gave him a push, pointing over to a structure in the near distance. Mike could see a metal roof gleaming overhead.

Laughing giddily, Josh pushed through some fallen vegetation and raised his hands up in the air, fists clenched tightly as Mike saw a shed in front of them.  
“What are you so happy about? It’s just a shack.”

“No, it’s a shack, equipped with supplies and, please God, a map!” Josh raced inside the creaky metal door and into the concrete building, dirt and grime collecting on the old outside walls as if no one had been in it for decades. 

Mike sighed and walked in after him, stuffing himself inside the cramped shed. It was barely large enough to hold some shelves and containers, and with the two of them inside too, Mike brushed shoulders with Josh when he shuffled to the back to look for some food.

There was a single, dim bulb hanging from a threadbare wire on the ceiling, harsh yellow light reflecting off the rusted metal of the shelves. The one window in the corner spread a wave of silver light across the floor but other than that, it was hard just to see where Mike was putting his own feet. The air was thick with dust and the whole shack was covered with cobwebs.

“Pretty nice place you got here,” Mike joked as he bent down to search through some boxes.

“I remember coming out with my dad to this shack as a kid. He kept some ancient gear from back when I used to play baseball. He’d grab some shit here and we’d go out to the clearing behind us to play, and sometimes, Hannah and Beth used to join in too. I’m not sure where he left the baseball bat, though.”

“It’s probably somewhere down in the basement,” Mike responded, glancing over at Josh, who was busy turning a desk inside out, pulling drawers open and scattering torn papers around the shack.

Mike turned his gaze back to the box beneath him, hands sorting through junk and equipment, bringing his arm up to his face to breathe in his hoodie instead of the pounds of dust smothering the air. At the bottom of the discolored and bent box, there was a few energy bars stuffed into the corners, the wrapping unopened and not torn.

Mike grabbed some and nudged Josh, who was standing over a stack of papers, meticulously sorting through them. He tossed a bar on the desk, which got Josh’s attention away from the forgotten log notes and reports. He turned and whispered his thanks as he tore into it, hungrily munching on the snack. 

“If I don’t find a map,” Josh grumbled, voice warped by him desperately trying to shove the energy bar into his mouth, “I might have to eat you for survival.”


End file.
